Combined post and winding apparatus



0 9 W.-L. YERGIN & J. E. WAD-SWORTH.

COMBINED POST AND WINDING APPARATUS.

No. 605,769. Patented June 14, 1898. v

r v 2 F UNITED S ATES PATENT O FICE.

WILLIAM'L. YERGIN'ANDj-JOHNE. WADS'WORTH, on LAPORT E, INDI-AIIA.

' COMBINED POST AND WINDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 605,769, dated June 14,1898.

Application filed November 20, 1397. Serial No. 659,574. (NoinodeL) v To all whom it may concern: I

'Be it known that we, WILLIAM L. YERGIN and J OHN.1E. WADswoRTH, citizens of the United States residing at vLa Porte, in the 'cou nty of La Porte and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Post and Winding Apparatus; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to certainn ew and use fulimprovements in construction offences, and more particularly to the formation of a post and winding apparatus therefor, the object being to provide a post which will be reliably braced and held in'position and will be provided with suitablewinding devices and with means foranchorin g the post securely in its adjusted position.

The details of ourinvention will -be fully.

of our -improved post; the same being a top plan view thereof. Fig. 8 is a perspective detail showing the lower portion of our improved post provided with an integrallyformed anchoring -fiange, which in this instance is struck out of the material forming the post. I

The severaldetails of our invention will. be designated by figures, the same figure being employed throughout the views for the same part.

In materializing our invention we form the post of two angle-plates, :a cross-section of which is shown in Fig. 6, or said post maybe formed substantially of one pieceof suitable material bent upon itself or cast to form the outline illustrated.

In forming the post illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 we provide the angle-plates 1 and 2, the

former preferably having the integrally-extending section or lip 3, the purpose of which will be hereinafter set forth. The angleplates 1 and2 are placed in'position parallel with each other, and between their opposing sides we mount in suitable bearings a series of Winding or storing spools 4, preferably integrally formed with the ratchet-wheel 5, and

cooperating with said ratchet is the detent 6,

: By the construction just described it will be clear that the detent 6 will freely rise upward as the ratchet wheel 5 is turned, the bolt 10 prev enting-an -undue upward movement, yet permitting the detent to freely drop downward as each succeeding tooth is passed, resulting in an automatic operation for said detent," rendering it only necessary for the operator to rotate the ratchet-wheel 5 by means of a suitable crank placed uponthe extended end 11 of the axle 12. I

The winding-spool and ratchet mechanism by being located. between the posts serve to steady and strengthen the same, and in order to assist in holding theplates 1 and 2 in alinement with each other and also to provide means for reliably anchoring the post'in its adjusted position in the ground we provide the anchoring-plate 13, held to said plates by the locking bolts or rivets 14, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Each of the spools at is preferably provided with a centrally-disposed aperture 15, designed to receive the free end of the wire and thus insure that 'a proper grasp thereon be had.

In Figs. 7 and 8 we have illustrated another form of construction for the post and'anchoring-plate, said post consisting of a single piece of suitable sheet metal cast or bent upon itself to form the parallel sections 16 and the oblong or body section 17, while upon the lower end of the post thus provided we form the integral lip or flange 18, which in case the material used in the post is wrought-iron may be strucl; out therefrom, or it may be cast integral therewith, as may be found most expedient. The purpose of the flange 18, it will be readily apparent, is to prevent undue lateral or upward movement of the post when once anchored in its operative position. In order that the post may be reinforced, we provide the brace-sections 19 and 20, which are substantially L-shaped in cross-section and are designed to lie substantially parallel with each other and reach from the upper end of the plates 1 and 2, where they may be properly secured, as by bolts 21, downward to the base 22, formed of wood, stone, or other material, and is there connected with the horizontally-disposed rod 23, the opposite end of which passes between the plates 1 and 2 and is engaged by the locking-plate 24: and nut 25, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The form of post illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 may be reinforced by the braces 19 and 20 in the same manner, while the end of the rod 23 may pass through the suitable aperture provided in the body of the post and there be secured, as above specified.

The operation of our improved combined post, brace, and winding apparatus may be stated to be as follows: The post is anchored in the usual manner in the soil and the ends of the wires connected to the spools by means of the aperture 15, when a suitable crank placed upon the end 11 will enable said spools to be rotated, which, being integrally formed with or otherwise attached to the ratchet wheel 5, will induce the rotation thereof, causing the detent (5 to successively drop behind each tooth and thus insure that a perfect tension be imparted to the wire. By this arrangement it will be readily apparent that if for any reason any one of the wires forming the fence shall become sagged its respective winding apparatus may be manipulated and the desired tension restored. The anchoringplate 13 and the flange 18, it will be clear, will insure that the post be retained in the soil when once properly anchored therein, thus rendering it unnecessary to employ a bed of cement for this purpose.

Having thus fully described the construction and operation of our combined post and win ding apparatus,what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination with a fence-post provided with a lip or flange, of a winding-drum provided with a ratchet and mounted in said post, a gravity-pawl resting against said lip or flange and means carried by the post to limit the movement of said pawl, all arranged as set forth.

2. The combination with a fence-post having a pin, of a winding-drum provided with a ratchet and mounted in said post, and a gravity-pawl having a recess in which said pin works to limit the movement of said pawl, all arranged as set forth.

3. A fence having separate vertical posts, one of said posts having a lip 23, devices located between said posts and connecting the same, and a gravity-pawl resting against said lip designed to control the movement of said devices, all combined as set forth.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM L. YERGIN. JOHN E. VADSlVOR' ll. Witnesses:

NELLIE RILEY LIDDLE, F. R. LIDDLE. 

